Fire hydrant reflector



Oct. 10, 1939. L. R. BLACKMAN m-AL 2,175,565

FIRE HYDRANT REFLECTOR Filed Aug. 26, 1937 INVENTORS LQEEY R. BLACKMAN AND F A. NICHO Pic-.8 V BY Ls Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI CE FIRE HYDRANT REFLECTOR Application August 26, 1937, Serial No. 160,986

7 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in means for protecting and assisting in the locating of fire hydrants and has particular relation to a reflector for fire hydrants.

An object of the invention is to provide a means whereby fire hydrants are rendered more visible to the end that in the event of fire, particularly at night and'in a dark or unlighted section, the hydrant may be quickly located.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein satisfactory embodiments of the invention are shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a side elevational view showing a fire hydrant equipped with a reflector means in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the reflector means of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan'view of a portion of the refiector means alone;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view showing the man ner of connecting the ends of the reflector band;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modification;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the manner of securing the reflector means of Fig. 5 to the fire hydrant;

Fig. 7 is an elevational View showing a further modification; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional View taken as along the line-8-8 of Fig. '7.

Referring in detail to the drawing and at first 'more particularly to Figs. 1 through 4 at I0 is shown a fire hydrant including outlets II and upper and lower parts or sections !2 and I3 secured together as by bolts I4. Such bolts pass through flange-like portions I5 formed with the hydrant parts I2 and I3 as best shown in Fig. 2.

About the flanges or adjoining portions I5 of the hydrant is a band, generally designated I6, carrying prismatic glass reflectors (or other types of reflectors) H each exposed at the outer side of the band. As here shown band I6 is made up of an outer member I8 having holes therethrough and through which project the reduced portions of the reflectors H. The inner enlarged portions I9 of the reflectors are of a diameter too great-ta pass throughtheholes in member I8 and engaging such portions of the reflectors and holding them in place projecting through the member I8 in a band-like member 20.

Band 20 is held in place in any suitable manner as by the bending over of the upper and lower 5 edge portions 2| and 22 of the member I8 to have such edge portions engage the band 29 as shown in Fig. 2. Both member I8 and band 20 are formed of aluminum or other soft metal that may be bent into the desired shape. At spaced 10 apart points U-shaped clips 23 are secured to the inner side of band 20 as by being riveted thereto as shown at 24. Each clip has its upper and low er arms 25 and 26 respectively provided with an elongated slot or opening 2?. F15

The band 26 (see Fig. 4) has one of its ends, as end 28, stop short of the adjacent end of member I8 and has its other end 29 projecting beyond the adjacent end of member I8. Therefore the ends of I6 are connected by inserting the projecting end 29 of band 213 into the open end of the member I8 until such projecting end 29 engages the end 28 and then with a punch or the like portions 30 of member I8 (the member being of soft metal) are forced into the end 29 of band :25 2|]. It will be apparent that depending on the size of the hydrant to be encircled end 29 may be inserted more or less into the opposite end of member i8.

When applying the device to a fire hydrant the desired number of bolts I4 are removed from the latter, depending on the number of clips 23 employed in the device, and band I6 is placed in position encircling the flanges or flange-like portions I5 of the hydrant. Thereafter the band is 35 shifted about until the openings 21 in the arms of the clips 23 register with the openings from which the bolts have been Withdrawn in the flanges [5. Then the bolts are inserted into place passing not only through the flanges I5 but also 40 through the arms of the clips 23.

In this way the band I6 is removably secured in position encircling the fire hydrant. The elongated openings in the arms of the clips enable the device to be applied where the bolts It are not all the same distances from the edges of the flanges i and/or where the of various hydrants are of various diameters. After the device is secured by the clips 23 the ends of the member I8 and band 20 may be joined by insert- 50 ing the end 29 of the latter into the opposite end of member I8 as above described.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a slight modification wherein the fire hydrant generally designated 3! includes-upperand lower parts. .32 and 33 ,the ad- .55

joining portions 34 and 35 of which incline or taper in opposite directions. In this instance a band 36 of aluminum or other soft metal encircles the adjacent or adjoining portions 34 and 35 of the hydrant. Such band has its upper and lower portions bent to incline or taper in opposite directions whereby the band embraces the adjoining portions of the hydrant. Band 36 carries prismatic or other types of reflectors 31 exposed at the outer side of the band and the latter is secured to the hydrant as by means of machine screws or the like 38. To receive screws 38 the hydrant is drilled and tapped at the proper places.

Figs. '7 and 8 show another modification. In such figures a band 40 of aluminum or other soft metal carries relatively large diameter prismatic or other type reflectors 4|. This band 40 is to encircle a hydrant such as that shown in Fig. l and may be used in place of the band l6. Clips 42 are provided to secure band 4!] in place and such clips being U-shaped they are arranged in positions straddling the band between pairs of the reflectors 4| and the arms of the clips are provided with elongated openings 43 for the passage of bolts l4 whereby the clips are secured to the hydrant and in turn secure the band thereto. Since clips 4! are not secured or fixed to the band 49 it will be apparent that the clips may be shifted about to have them properly placed to bring the openings 43 in their arms into register with the usual bolt holes in the adjoining portions of the hydrant.

From the above it will be understood that the means of the invention may be applied to any fire hydrant and that when it is in place the hydrant supports reflectors arranged entirely or partly therearound as desired. The bands may be applied in a variety of ways some of which are shown and others of which will readily suggest themselves, as for example, the bands may be welded to the hydrants With the present arrangement the headlights of fire fighting apparatus will be reflected when shining on the hydrant and the latter is quickly located. Further with the present device a motorist will have his attention called to the presence of a hydrant when parking This will prevent casual parking close to hydrants. Also the device making the hydrant visible from a distance will be of assistance in that before reaching a hydrant a motorist will be warned of its presence.

Having thus set forth the nature of our invention, what we claim is:

1. In combination with a fire hydrant including upper and lower parts bolted together, a band encircling the hydrant at the juncture of the parts thereof, reflectors carried by said band and exposed at the outer side thereof, U-shaped clips having their arms extending inwardly from the band, said clips having openings in the inner portions of their arms, and said clips straddling the band and the adjoining portions of the hydrant and secured to the hydrant and having passing through said openings in the arms thereof the bolts securing together the upper and lower parts of the hydrant.

2. In combination with a fire hydrant including upper and lower parts bolted together, a band encircling the hydrant at the juncture of the parts thereof, reflectors carried by said band and exposed at the outer side thereof, U-shaped clips having elongated openings in their arms, said clips straddling the adjoining portions of the upper and lower parts of the hydrant and having passing through the elongated openings in the arms thereof the bolts securing together the hydrant parts, and means securing said band to said clips whereby said clips secure said band about the hydrant.

3. In combination with a fire hydrant including upper and lower parts bolted together, a band encircling the hydrant at the juncture of the parts thereof, reflectors carried by said band and exposed at the outer side thereof, U-shaped clips secured to said band and extending inwardly therefrom and having openings in their arm portions, and said clips straddling the adjoining portions of the upper and lower parts of the hydrant and having passing through the openings in the arms thereof the bolts securing together such hydrant parts whereby the band is secured about the hydrant.

4. In combination with a fire hydrant includ ing upper and lower parts bolted together, a band encircling the hydrant at the juncture of the parts thereof, reflectors carried by the band and exposed at the outer side thereof, U-shaped clips straddling said band between pairs of such reflectors and straddling the adjoining portions of the upper and lower parts of the hydrant, said clips having openings in their arms, and said clips having passing through the openings in the arms thereof the bolts securing together the hydrant parts whereby said clips are secured to and secure the band about the hydrant.

5. In combination with a fire hydrant including upper and lower parts bolted together and tapering in opposite directions from their line of juncture, a band angularly formed and embracing said hydrant parts above and below such line of juncture, threaded means securing the band to both such hydrant parts, and reflectors carried by said band and exposed at the outer side thereof.

6. In combination with a fire hydrant including upper and lower sections having a horizontal line of abutment toward the upper end of hydrant, said upper and lower sections having outer annular surfaces located respectively above and below said line of abutment and extending inwardly toward the vertical center of the hydrant and comprising respectively upper and lower surfaces of the hydrant, means comprising an elongated metallic means encircling the hydrant at said line of abutment and including a central portion covering and extending to each side of said line of abutment, said means including upper and lower inwardly extending portions engaging said upper and lower hydrant surfaces respectively, said metallic means having its transverse ends connected and forming a continuous band about the hydrant whereby owing to said engagement of said upper and lower inwardly extending portions with said upper and lower surfaces the means including the metallic means may not be lowered about the hydrant from said postion and may not be surreptitiously removed from the hydrant, and light reflector means mounted on said elongated metallic means and visible from the outer side thereof.

7. In combination with a fire hydrant including upper and lower sections having a horizontal line of abutment toward the upper end of the hydrant, means comprising an elongated metallic means encircling the hydrant and including a central portion covering said line of abutment and extending to each side thereof, said metallic means having its transverse ends connected to provide a continuous band encircling the hydrant the vertical center of the hydrant and comprisat said line of abutment, said means including upper and lower inwardly extending portions above and below said central portion, said inwardly extending portions engaging portions of the surfaces of said upper and lower hydrant sections, threaded fasteners passing through each of said inwardly extending surface engaging portions and into the sections engaged thereby to secure said means to the hydrant, light reflecting units supported by said elongated metallic means and visible from the outer side thereof, said upper and lower sections having outer annular surfaces located respectively above and below said line of abutment and extending inwardly toward ing respectively upper and lower surfaces of the hydrant, and said upper and lower inwardly extending surface engaging portions of the means engaging said upper and lower annular surfaces respectively of the said sections whereby surreptitious removal of the means over the top of the hydrant and movement of the means to lower it about the hydrant without breaking of the band is prevented even though said fasteners are first 10 removed from the means and hydrant. 

